Reviews of My New Book!

 

        Reviews for my new book, To Stop a Slaughter: Just War in the Book of Mormon have arrived. I’m proud to announce they are universally positive, and I appreciate the time the reviewers spent reading and thinking about my ideas. I still have a few more outstanding so hopefully I can add to this list. I know Scripture Central is working on a review, and Public Square, where I published a version of chapter 4, might have one. Without further ado, hare are some things that people are saying about the book:

Square Two, reviewed by Kerry Kartchner. “sophisticated, enriching, well-written, and worthy of study.” “Refreshing…authenticity and subtly of a soldier’s perspective.”  “A significant contribution to the discourse.” A great final paragraph that I repeat in full: 

[Deane's] volume offers a substantial, detailed, and nuanced explanation of military and strategic issues in the text of the Book of Mormon, and a vigorous defense of the imperative to sometimes wield the sword to defend oneself and one’s neighbors. Deane brings a formidable knowledge of warfare, the development of Christian just war theory, and the military history of ancient China to bear on this material. He is also attuned to contemporary American defense and foreign policy issues, with frequent references to how the principles he expounds in this book apply at the policy level in today’s world. This book is an important contribution to the discourse among LDS national security scholars and practitioners. Its message of how a righteous people may sometimes be reluctantly compelled to take up arms to stop the slaughter of their innocent neighbors deserves careful consideration in our day as we confront “wars and rumors of war.”

Times and Seasons, reviewed by Ivan Wolfe. Morgan Deane is “probably our #1 expert on Ancient war and the Book of Mormon.” You may not agree, but his book demands “you should at least fully understand what it is you aren’t agreeing with.”

Interpreter, reviewed by Craig Foster. “interesting and informative”…the book “demonstrates an excellent knowledge of the literature pertaining to war, the philosophical and theological reasons for war, and the conduct of war.” “provocative topics that encourage fascinating and meaningful discussion.”

Substack, reviewed by Michael Towns. “Offers substantive answers and insights into these moral questions [about war and peace.]”…“Morgan Deane is steeped in all the philosophical and academic foundations needed to understand Just War Theory.”

        I encourage you to read the reviews for yourself and of course, buy the book. If you’re a regular reader you probably already have a copy but maybe buy one for a friend or family member. If you’re tight on money just send me an email and I’ll give you a free copy. For those in the Las Vegas area I’d be happy to sign it for you. Feel free to peruse my author page and consider purchasing some of my other books. This is Christmas time, and my books are well priced stocking stuffers and enhancements for your library. Thanks for reading!

I work as a free lance author. If you find value in my work please consider donating using the paypal button at the bottom of the page, or again, please consider buying one of my books linked in the top left. 

The Parable of the Two Princes

 

        The 9^th century Irish monk, Sedulius Scottus, wrote an interesting parable that interacts with the heart of just war and the Book of Mormon that I explained in my latest book. In his work he compares a righteous prince who sought peace for his enemies even after war with an evil prince.[1] In contrast with this righteous prince, the wicked prince continued to fight after refusing a sincere offer of peace. Sedulius wrote this to illustrate and expand upon the concept of the peaceful heart first elucidated by Augustine and Isidore of Seville.

        This interacts with the Book of Mormon and illustrates key concepts of just war within the text. The prince that prays for peace and his enemies even after war recall the Nephites who were “sorry” and “reluctantly compelled” to take up arms against the Lamanites (Alma 48:21-24). The Nephite felt sorry because they had to send so many unrepentant sinners into the afterlife. And they displayed the kind of hearts that welcomes Lamanite converts like the Anti Nephi Lehis and prisoners who make a covenant of peace into their midst (Alma 62:16-17), even after the many murders that the latter had committed. This reinforces the idea that the heart of the important wielding the sword is paramount and provides an illustration of the peaceful and violent heart.

        I described the violent heart of the second wicked prince in my first book. The story of a leader whose heart is so hard and warlike that they refused peace is found both within the Jaredite civil war and the Chinese War of the Eight Princes. Coriantumr saw the slaughter of the civil war which prompted him to repentance (Ether 15:2-6).

        This story contains the often-ridiculed number of two million people. Before we consider that number, it shows that critics would rather pettifog an inconsequential detail and miss the much more important morale of the story. Indulging that trivial detail, the number isn’t as implausible as the critics contend and shows us the savagery of the war and God’s wrath on the people. Ether 15 doesn’t refer to a single battle, but to the massive slaughter described in Ether 14. The losses of two competing factions over at least 8 battles of Ether 14,[2] plus numerous cities being overthrown (Ether 14:17), and multiple instances of women and children being slaughtered (Ether 14:17, 22), mean that two million is an entirely plausible number of dead. The ancient capital of China, Luoyang, had a population of 600,000 but only held a few thousand by the end of the War of the Eight Princes (see below.)  If the Jaredites had a few cities even a fraction of that size, the extirpation of “many” cities described in Either 14:17 and 22 easily accounts for many of those supposedly ludicrous “millions” of deaths.

        Returning to the more important moral of the story, after that slaughter Coriantumr began to repent, and wrote the leader of the side trying to find peace. But Shiz, showing the stone heart of the unrighteous warrior, demanded Coriantumr give himself up to be slain. The latter naturally refused, and both continued to fight until the bitter end.

        When I first studied this civil war, I compared it to the Chinese War of the Eight Princes because it had a very similar example. One of the eight princes in the civil war, Sima Yong, executed Zhang Fang and sent the head to the rival prince, Sime Yue, as part of a peace offer to no effect. The offer of peace might not have been sincere, but it was a chance to stop a war that was so devastating it turned one of the ancient great capitals of the world into a graveyard where “bleached bones covered the field.”

        The story shows the creativity of this Irish monk and reinforces the importance of Alma 48:21-24. I find those verses in Alma the most important of the war chapters and the most important scripture about warfare. The Title of Liberty really enthralls with its martial glory, but I’ve witnessed too many militant militia members with the Title of Liberty on their wall to fully rely on this story without significant caution from Alma 48. Being reluctant warriors is more important but far less romantic and hence less well known. It is only reading Sedulius that I realized those verses in Alma contrast with the rejected peace deal in Ether 15, to show different kinds of hearts.

        On a final note, it shows me once again that my instincts are very good. I’m not very famous. I can’t even make a list of lesser known Mormon scholars. (I’m Starlord man… Come on.) My posts on social media have more scammers than actual people liking them. I don’t have the right letters by my name, and I don’t work for any organizations that impress you. Lots of people look at my lack of worldly fame, credentials, and obscurity even within the Mormon community, and they cast me aside with a chortle and a few insults.

        But my ideas are solid. I regularly express ideas that are later validated by impressive scholars. The day I wrote this piece Robert Kagan, holding some endowed chair of geopolitics, agreed with my analysis on the use of human shields. In this and this post I explain key details about preemptive war that I later found in academic literature on the subject. I intuitively grasped the heart of just war here (about halfway down) and refuted the “renounce war, proclaim peace” cudgel a decade before I read any Christian thinkers.

        The tale of the two princes highlights my intuitive grasp of the heart found in Alma and Ether. The story from Seludius further solidifies and shows examples of the hearts that renounce war and proclaim peace, but also shows how the righteous wield the sword. It contrasts with those that are hardened beyond feeling, even though the warfare of both types of people might look similar. I hope it helped you think more deeply about the matter. Thanks for reading.

I work as a free lance writer. If you found value in this work, please consider donating using the paypal button below, or buy one of my books linked in the top left. 
************

---

[1] Sedulius Scottus, Liber De rectoribus Christianis, 47.

[2] Ether 14:3, 4, 5 (a siege with combat), 11, 14, 16, 22 (multiple slaughters of soldiers and civilians, “shedding blood to shedding blood”), and 26.

Straightening the Warped Wood: A Confucian Reading of 2 Nephi 2:25

The following is my application to the Mormon Theology Seminar. They asked for a creative and close reading of 2 Nephi 2:25. 

Lehi begins his blessing by telling his son Jacob that he was born in the wilderness and “suffered afflictions and much sorrow.” V.1 But, Lehi promised, those afflictions would be “consecrated for his gain.’ V2 because he was redeemed by his Savior. V.3 This blessing and explanation of Jesus’ role culminates in the famous couplet: Adam fell that man might be and men are that they might have joy.

The joy of mankind’s purpose immediately contrasts with Biblical verses who emphasize the conditions of the lone and dreary world that would be cursed. Adam would eat by the “sweat of his brow” (Gen 3:17) and women would bring forth children in sorrow (Gen. 3:16).

But when viewed through Confucian teachings, that sorrow is what leads to joy. This Confucian lens bridges the gap between the Biblical account of the fall that emphasizes tribulation, and Lehi’s version, which quickly pivots from tribulation to joy and omits the tribulation all together in his famous couplet.

One of the leading Confucian thinkers Xunzi, often called the Chinese Aristotle for his command of a wide range of topics over a similar time period as the Greek thinker, discussed fallen human nature and its relation to self-improvement and joy.

In contrast to other Confucian thinkers like Mencius (whom Xunzi names in his rebuttal), Xunzi believed that human nature was fallen. Sounding much King Benjamin about the carnal, sensual and devilish “natural man” (Mosiah 3:19), Xunzi wrote: People’s nature is bad…goodness is a matter of deliberate effort. They are born with feelings of hate and dislike in them. If they follow along with these, then cruelty and villainy will arise.[1] (Xunzi also believed that a sage ruler would supplant a mere hegemon by recognizing his people’s nature, teaching them what is right, and guiding them on the way, again sounding like King Benjamin’s role in Mosiah chapters 1-3.)

This sounds negative at first glance, but his message is positive because this fallen or sinful nature can lead to great joy. Xunzi explained that recognizing man’s fallen nature is like a craftsman that sees a crooked piece of word, potter adding water to raw clay, or a smith that sees unrefined metal.[2] “Crooked wood must await streaming and straightening…only then does it become straight. Blunt metal must await honing and grinding, and only then does it become sharp.”[3] The people, honed by Confucian rituals and behavior, find themselves living in a blessed and happy state as gentlemen, being able to overcome the vicissitudes of life.

The most applicable part of being a gentleman is maintaining composure during toil, such as those experienced by Jacob, Adam, and everyone living in a fallen world. Xunzi thought that even people “on the streets” or in the lowliest gutter of fallen life could apply these principles.[4]  Once perfected, the Confucian gentlemen retains peace and happiness no matter the situation. “Even if living in poverty, the gentlemen’s intentions are still grand. Even if wealthy and honored, his demeanor is reverent. Even if living at easy, his blood and qi are not lazy. Even if weary from toil, his countenance is not disagreeable. When angry he is not excessively harsh, and when happy he is not excessively indulgent.”[5]

The Confucian lens thus makes an explicit connection between man’s fallen nature, and their capacity for joy. It not only shows some congruency with Lehi’s teachings, but adds much more, filling in the blanks of what specific actions within life leads to joy, as simply as a crooked piece of wood being straightened by a craftsman. The fall leads to trial, which in turn leads to joy because of the perfecting actions prescribed by rituals and proper conduct.

********
I work as a free lance author. If you found value in this work please consider donating using the pay pal button below or buy one of my books linked in the top left. 

---

[1] Eric Hutton, trans., Xunzi: The Complete Text, (Princeton University Press, 2014,) 248.

[2] Ibid., 65, 201, 204, 209, 210, 250.

[3] Ibid., 248.

[4] Ibid., 254.

[5] Ibid., 15.

Bad Quotes and Good Ideas

 

    I have a new book coming out, someday, called Beyond Sunzi: Classical Debates on Chinese War and Statecraft. The book was exciting to write as I showed how various strands of Chinese thought interact with each other. I mention it here, besides venting my frustration at glacial publishers, because I see lots of false quotes with somewhat catchy ideas with no sources that don't pass the smell test. Here is a link to many of the worst quotes.

    What’s interesting though is that many of these lousy or fake points are related to good points found in Chinese writing. This post lists a bunch of fake quotes followed by good ideas that are represented in classical Chinese theory (and sometimes elsewhere.)  Because I’m so often responding to memes that have no sourcing at all, I’m making sure to show you the translation and page number I take it from.

 "A leader leads by example, not by force?"

    This has some relation to the teachings of Shen Pu Hai (Shenzi.) He talked about a ruler's need to display inaction or a placid mirror, so his ministers don't try to change their opinions to curry favor. This is more of a Daoist kind of actionless action.[1]

"Sweat more during peace: bleed less during war."

    This sounds a bit like a description of the Roman army by Josephus where he says that Roman training maneuvers were like bloodless battles, and battles like bloody maneuvers.

"If quick, I survive. If not quick, I am lost. This is 'death.'"

    The cadence sounds correct. Classical writing often follows something called the four-character formula. Mao’s basic rules for guerilla warfare was so popular and easier to remember because they were 4 sets of 4 character formulas. Because of the strong stylistic resemblance, it could be from a bad translation of Sunzi though I’ve read multiple translations and still don’t recognize it. 

    Sunzi often talked about quick wars, fast movement, and seizing something the enemy wants. On quick wars, “a victory that is long in coming will blunt their blades and dampen their ardor.”[2] On forcing enemy movement, “One who excels at moving the enemy deploys in a configuration to which the enemy must respond. He offers [or seizes according to Sun Bin] something which the enemy must seize.[3] Moving quickly was something that Confucians valued.

"Victory is reserved for those who are willing to pay its price."

    The points sounds like this from the Wei Liaozi, though this line is disputed (see the next point). "I have heard that in antiquity those who excelled in employing the army could bear to kill half of their officers and soldiers."[4]

"Who does not know the evils of war cannot appreciate its benefits."

    I don't know ANY author that would say this. Sunzi stressed the benefits of winning without battle mostly due to the high material cost of warfare (see above). Confucians would point to the needless loss of life. Legalists would be upset at the economic impact of losing so many farmers/ taxbase. I tried to get, "wading through blood and treading through guts" into my title because that summarizes how pretty much every writer found battle.

"When you understand what suits the terrain…investigate the rules for marching and formation…White blades meet; flying arrows are exchanged; you wade through blood and tread through guts; you cart the dead away and support the wounded; the blood flows for a thousand li; exposed corpses fill the field; thus victory is decided. This is the lowest use of the military."[5]

    Sun Bin, a purported lineal descendant of Sunzi, advised against commanders that employ them like tossed chunks of earth and grass.[6]

    The writer considered the prototypical Confucian minister, Guanzi, said that if the people were forced to crack the bones of their children for cooking then the state uproots itself.[7]

"The King is only fond of words, and cannot translate them into deeds."

    This one sounded close to something but is not in Sunzi’s text. It is in the history about him. After executing the king’s concubines because they failed to follow orders correctly the king dismissed the army. Sunzi responded to him, “Your majesty only likes the words, he is not able to realize their substance.”[8] That is a close enough translation, but it is not in the Art of War!! Moreover, his concept of punishment was disputed by many, including Sun Bin who said it wasn’t urgent.[9]

"Convince your enemy that he will gain very little by attacking you; this will diminish his enthusiasm."

    The general point is echoed in many places. Sunzi talked about displaying profit to entice the enemy and dampening their chi by waiting to attack. Sun Bin and Wuzi talked about how to manipulate the enemy. Here is the former:

The enemy’s generals are courageous and difficult to frighten. Their weapons are strong, their men numerous and self-reliant. All the warriors of their Three Armies are courageous and untroubled. Their generals are awesome, their soldiers are martial, their officers strong, and their provisions well supplies. None of the feudal Lords dares contend with them. How should we strike them?

To strike them, announce that you do not dare fight. Show them that you are incapable; sit about submissively and await them in order to make their thoughts arrogant and apparently accord with their ambitions. Do not let them recognize your ploy. Thereupon strike where unexpected, attack where they do not defend, apply pressure where they are indolent, and attack their doubts.[10]

"In peace, prepare for war. In war, prepare for peace."

    At first glance this sounded like a Latin phrase, and it is indeed: If you want peace prepare for war.

"Even the finest sword plunged into salt water will eventually rust."

    This echoes a point that Confucians would make about the importance of character, proper rites, filial piety and the dangers of a corrupt state. Xunzi talked about nations that had the sharpest swords, highest mountains, toughest armor, and yet because they forfeited the mandate of heaven they fell.

"The men of Ch’u make armor out of sharkskin and rhinoceros hides, and it is so tough it rings like metal or stone. They carry steel spear made in Yuan, sharp as the sting of a wasp, and move as nimbly and swiftly as a whirlwind. [Notice the reference to swift movement.] And Chu’s troops were defeated at Chiu sha and their general Tang Mei, was killed; and…the state was ripped apart. Surely this did not come about because Chu lacked stout armor and sharp weapons. Rather it was because its leaders did not follow the proper way."[11]

    Confucius wrote that "an inhumane man cannot long abide in comfort."[12] And: "Only when the year turns freezing cold do we realize that pine and cypress are the last to winter."[13]

    Wei Liaozi wrote: The perfected man [chunzi] does not stop criminals more than five paces away….If you flog a person’s back, brand his ribs, or compress his fingers in order to question him about the nature of his offense, even a state hero could not withstand this cruelly and would falsely implicate himself.[14]

    As you can see, these are bad quotes but good ideas. Some are real quotes that are attributed to someone else. But most of these are bastardized ideas that have little relation to Sunzi and some relation to Chinese thought if you know Chinese well enough. Luckily, I do and have a book about it coming out soon. The zi/ tzu ending in Chinese means master, and they were masters of their craft. It’s a shame people don’t put much energy into learning from such great texts, many of which are translated and easily available, but rely on diluted ideas and fake quotes.

Thanks for reading! I work as a free lance author. If you found value in this work please consider donating using the paypal button at the bottom of the page, or you can buy one of my books using the link in the top left. 

**********

---

[1] Herlee Creel trans., Shen Pu Hai: A Chinese Philosopher of the 4th Century, (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1974), 249, 351.

[2] Ralph Sawyer trans., The Art of War, in The Seven Military Classics of Ancient China, (New York: Westview Press, 1993), 159.

[3] Ralph Sawyer trans., Sun Bin: The Art of Warfare,(Westview Press, 1995), 165, 186. One line reads: cause the enemy to roll up his armor and race far off.

[4] Sawyer, Wei Liaozi in the Seven Classics, 276.

[5] Andrew Seth Meyer trans., Huainanzi, by Liu An, chapt 15, (New York: Columbia University Press), 103.

[6] Sawyer, Sun Bin, 200.

[7] W. Allyn Rickett, Guanzi: Political, Economic, and Philosophic Essays from Early China v.1, (Princeton: Princeton University press, 1985), 294.

[8] Spring and Autumn Annals as quoted by Sawyer, Seven Classics, 151.

[9] Sawyer, Sun Bin, 90.

[10] Sawyer, Sun Bin, 169.

[11] Burton Watson trans., Xunzi: Basic Writings, (New York: Columbia University Press, 1963), 71-73.

[12] Chicung Huang, The Analects of Confucius, (London: Oxford University Press, 1997), 67.

[13] Ibid., 107.

[14] Sawyer, Wei Liaozi, 258.

The Word and the Sword

I found a single verse in Alma that comments upon an important debate and important ideas in philosophy. Alma 31:5-

And now, as the preaching of the word had a great tendency to lead the people to do that which was just—yea, it had had more powerful effect upon the minds of the people than the sword, or anything else, which had happened unto them—therefore Alma thought it was expedient that they should try the virtue of the word of God.

The word having a more powerful effect on the mind than the sword comments on the debate between Legalists and Confucians in Chinese history. Legalists took one side of that debate as thinkers like Lord Shang and Han Feizi believed in the power of the state. Some of the basic concepts stated that the state should punish light crimes heavily and use a system of rewards and punishments to control the people, weaken the separatist tendencies of noble families, and harness the entire state for war. As part of that harnessing Legalists like Han Feizi thought religion and other items that could undermine the state were vermin.  

Lord Shang for example continually emphasized that the government should control the people and that a weak people will make the army doubly strong.^[1] and “a fearful people, stimulated by penalties, will become brave, and a brave people, encouraged by rewards, will fight to the death.”^[2]

Han Feizi rather stridently opposed calls for mercy, compassion, love and anything that might undermine the state’s ability to use the sword:

To reward those who cut off the heads of the enemy and yet to admire acts of mercy and compassion; to hand out titles and stipends to those who capture the enemy’s cities and yet to give ear to the doctrines of universal love [Mohism]; to strengthen one’s armor and sharpen one’s weapons in preparation for the time of trouble, and yet to praise the elegant attire of the civil gentry; to hope to enrich the nation through agriculture and ward off the enemy with trained soldiers, and yet to pay honor to men of literary accomplishment…to indulge in contradictory acts like these is to insure that the state will never be well ordered. The nation at peace may patronize Confucian scholars and cavaliers; but the nation in danger must call upon its frightening men.^[3]

Religious writers, especially Confucians disagreed with this view. They argued a strong state might command men, but they are inherently fragile because they don’t win the love of and service of their people. The most widely cited belief comes from Mencius, a leading disciple of Confucius. He summarized the principle very well when he said that “when force is used to make men submit, they do not submit in their hearts…But when virtue is used to make men submit, they are happy in their hearts and sincerely submitted themselves.^[4]

The Pheasant Cap Master, a Daoist text that looked towards a hopeful future, described a people that might obey threats of the sword, but secretly seethed at Legalist governments and waited for a chance to rebel. 

“Worthy men hide in a disordered generation. Above they have to follow the ruler, below, there is no straight speaking, When the ruler is arrogant in behavior, the people have many taboo words. So men distort their honest sincerity, capable knights disguise their true substance. Though their real mind is unhappy, they dare not but praise...they dare not but labor...they dare not but follow.^[5] 

(Until they revolt. The Huainanzi attributed the swift and destined fall of the first Chinese dynasty to accumulated grievances.[6])

In a statement that seems somewhat simple Xunzi, a leading Confucian scholar specifically mentioned the tattoos and branding irons, (implements of punishments of Legalist states), as leading the people to view the opposing ruler as more like a father than their own:

If the [people in a Legalist army] favor the benevolent ruler [of the opposing state], look up to him as to a father or mother, and rejoice in him as in the fragrance of iris or orchid, and on the contrary regard their own superiors as so many wielders of branding irons and tattoo knives, as their foes and enemies, then human nature being what it is…how could they be willing to fight for the sake of men they hate and do harm to one they love?^[7]

The first and last quote include details about the efficacy of soldiers forced into war by an authoritarian state compared to choosing to fight because their hearts are devoted to their leader. But the most important point of all the writings is that the state, or as Mormon wrote, the sword, can only change or compel men so much. The Confucian and Daoist writers argued very well that force fails to capture the hearts of the people and produces changes that are more superficial. The Book of Mormon includes an example of this. The people of Alma were subjugated by the Amulonites who then institutde the death penalty for those caught praying. But the power was temporary because “Alma and his people did not raise their voices to the Lord their God, but did pour out their hearts to him (Mosiah 24:12.)” Eventually God helped them escape and the Amulonite’s use of the sword proved ineffectual to the hearts of the people devoted to God.

What is interesting though is that the sword still has a prominent place in this part of the text. Alma’s mission to the Zoramites was designed to avoid their defection to the Lamanites and a war (Alma 31:4), yet it ended up happening (Alma 35:9-11). Even the converts among the Zoramites had to take up arms to defend the country (Alma 35:14). Even though the text says the word had more power than the sword, the word didn’t produce the change they wanted while the sword did protect the Lamanite and Zoramite converts.

The supremacy of the word over the sword might be a subtle critique against Moroni. His Title of Liberty included prophecy, but also men running with their armor (and presumably weapons) to hear and covenant with those words (Alma 46:21).  Moroni later received permission from the people and the government to suppress dissenters with the sword and force them to fight for the cause of liberty (Alma 51:15; 17-20). This was a time of great danger for the nation as they faced a significant invasion, but I always find it odd to make people fight for freedom. As Xunzi pointed out, the people should love the ruler and their nation so much that they “[buckle] on their armor and enthusiastically [attack the enemy] without waiting for any orders from their superiors.”[8] While Moroni’s free men enthusiastically flocked to his Moroni’s banner; applying the commentary of Chinese philosophers, we might conclude that the King Men submitted with their lips and supported the Nephite cause but they secretly seethed at the government, perhaps fueling the insurgency later in Helaman.

Clearly a nuanced look at the history of the text would suggest the Nephites may have relied on the sword too much, despite Mormon’s statement in Alma 31:5. The word was stronger as it penetrated the heart and made for more lasting change than those compelled by the power and swords of the state. Yet military action remained a tragic necessity as seen by the results of the Zoramite mission. Its possible that the Nephite’s compelled the bodies with the sword but didn’t win hearts like they should. This underscores how truly important it is to led the word lead people to do what was just. And it impresses me that the Book of Mormon can have such robust conversations with the ideas debated by impressive Chinese thinkers.   

Thanks for reading. I work as a freelance scholar so if you found value in this work please consider donating using the pay pal button below or buy one of the my books linked in the top left. Thanks again! 

**********

---

[1] The Book of Lord Shang, JJL Duyvendak trans., (Chicago University Press, 1928,) 198.

[2] The Book of Lord Shang, 201.

[3] Han Feizi, Basic Writings, Burton Watson trans., (Columbia University Press, 2003,) 108.

[4] As quoted in Rickett, Guanzi: Political, Economic and Philosophic Essays Vol I, Alan Rickett trans., (Princeton University Press, 1985,) 12.

[5] The Pheasant Cap Master, Marnix Wells trans., (Three Pines Press, 2013,) 195.

[6] Liu An’s Art of War: Huainanzi chapter 15, Anderew Seth Meyer trans., (Columbia University Press, 2012, )107-108. Chen Sheng, a conscript soldier, arose…He bared his right arm and raised it, proclaiming himself Great chuh, and the empire responded like an echo. At that time, he did not have strong armor or sharp weapons, powerful bows or hard spears. They cut date trees to make spears; they ground awls and chisels to make swords, they sharpened bamboo and shouldered hoes to meet keen halberds and strong crossbows, yet not city they attacked or land they invaded did not surrender to them. They roiled and shook, overran and rolled up an area of several thousand square li…Chen’s force and station were supremely lowly, and his weapons and equipment were of no advantage, yet one man sang out and the empire harmonized with him. This was because resentment had accumulated among the people.

[7] Xunzi, Basic Writings, 58-59.

[8] Wei Liaozi, in The Seven Military Classics of Ancient China, Ralph Sawyer trans., (Westview Press, 1993,) 260.

When flames first arise, they are easily extinguished: Ideas Behind Stopping the Corona Virus

My latest project discussed classical Chinese military theory beyond Sunzi. And it has a great deal of impact surrounding the reaction to the Corona virus. At the time of this writing most major sports have suspended their seasons, colleges are going exclusively online, my job teaching chess after school is cancelled until further notice, and both the federal and state governments have declared states of emergency.  But for many people this seems like an overreaction. After all, here in Nevada there have only been a dozen confirmed cases and the deaths in the country still number a small fraction of those that come from the flu.  This leads some to say that government officials are over reacting.  This is where Chinese theory comes in. 

The two relevant ideas come from the third century BC scholar Shizi in a post from 2019. Little is known about him though he seems to be China’s first syncretist and his writings have recently been reconstructed from quotes in other texts. He states that it’s easier to solve a problem before they become big, and there is little thanks in doing so:

Even a tree so big that it shields the sky was, at its beginning, only as thick as the base of a tree sprout: easy to get rid of. But once it has fully manifested itself, a hundred people using hatchets and axes are unable to fell it!  

When flames first arise, they are easily extinguished. But once it has gotten to the point where the Yunmeng and the Mengzhu swamplands are aflame, then even with the help of the whole world ladling out the waters of the Jiang and Han rivers, one will still be unable to save the situation!

[The] beginnings of misfortunes are like flames and tree sprouts: easy to stop. But then they are neglected and become great matters, then even worthies like Kong Zi [Confucius] and Mozi will be unable to save the situation! 

When a house burns and someone saves it, then we know their virtue. But the elderly who daub chimney cracks to guard against fire, thereby living their whole lives without the misfortune of stray flames causing a fire: their virtue remains unknown! 

When they enter a jail or prison to relieve one who has suffered difficulty [by bailing him out], then his relatives are held to be acting virtuously toward him. But those who would teach him with goodness, propriety, parental love, and sibling concern so that his whole life will be without such difficulty: no one considers this to be virtue! 

Misfortunes also have chimneys and if worthies were to travel the world to aid in daubing them, then the world would have no military suffering, yet none would know their virtue. There it is sad: ‘Safely people rectify things when they are yet spirituous [or forming]; stupid people contend with things after they have become obvious.’[1]

It might seem like an overreaction to the virus, but a person could also say that the problem is being addressed while it is yet small.  If the leaders are successful, they will continue to face criticism for over reacting, but it would be those overreactions that keep the problem small. Nobody knows what the future holds but because of Shizi and so much more I would rather ere on the side of action and prevention. 

**********

---

[1] Shizi: China’s First Syncretist, Paul Fischer trans., (Columbia University Press, 2012) 67-68.

Game of Thrones, History, and Details in the Book of Mormon

Game of Thrones ended on what I thought was a funny and thoughtful note. All the survivors serving under the new king gather to discuss how to rebuild the kingdom. It was so charming in fact I wouldn’t mind seeing a spin off series about these meetings as they combine many of the fan favorites. One of the major complaints from this scene though is when the events of the show get put into a book. It turns out that Tyrion, the dwarf who was part of most of the major events was not even listed. One youtube scholar wrote:

That "Song of Ice and Fire" joke was dumb; Tyrion, not mentioned? His arrest caused the War of Five Kings, he served as hand to three (Joffrey, Dany and Bran) monarchs, he lead part of the vanguard at Green Fork and organized and lead the entire defense at Kings Landing. But sure, hack writers needed a cheap laugh.

But with a knowledge of how historians write, it is possible to conceive of a Game of Thrones history that doesn’t include Tyrion Lannister.

Tyrion is arrested by Catlin Stark:

This event was monumental because it caused Tywin Lannister to order his forces to attack Catlin’s ancestral lands. The king was incapacitated from a hunting accident (really an arranged murder from his wife Circe Lannister), and couldn’t keep the peace between his wife’s family (Lannisters), and the family of his biggest supporters (the Starks).  The average historian has a great deal to cover, and the dwarf was merely the catalyst for larger events and thus could have been summarized as, “Tywin Lannister attacked to avenge his wrongly implicated and arrested relative.” Or if the historian is pro Lannister, since the Ned Stark took advantage of the king’s absence from court to order a punitive expedition and was later executed for treason, the historian would write, “Tywin defended himself against the wrongful arrest of his son and malicious attack ordered by the traitor Ned Stark.” 

Tyrion as Hand of the King: 

The Hand is the Game of Thrones equivalent of palace or prime minister. Throughout history, some are inconsequential, while others like Pepin the Short inaugurate new dynasties.  Chinese legal scholars warned that not every conquest resulted from armies scaling the walls and breaking down the gates. Moreover, Tyrion was sent to Kings Landing to act as Hand in the name of his father. His last stint as Hand was largely ineffectual. He governed the city of Mereen quite well, but that is a distant city in the East that Westeros historians wouldn’t know or care about. By the time the Dragon Queen came to Westeros he was often ignored and eventually he quit and was imprisoned by her. His time as Hand of the king or queen could be described as, “Tywin Lannister, governing through proxies…” or simply, “The Dragon Queen ignored her ineffectual advisors.”

Tyrion leading several key attacks:

The show put a lamp shade on this one. After he led a key counterattack at the Mud Gate during the Battle of Blackwater Bay, he was horribly wounded but the counter attacked succeeded and saved the city at a critical moment. One of his visitors was the spymaster, who thanked him for saving the city, but warned that the people thought he was the imp and Tyrion won’t get credit for it.  

Tyrion’s counterattack was simply one of many twists and turns to the battle. The use of a fictional version of Greek Fire, called wildfire, destroyed much of the opposing fleet. During the Muslim siege of Constantinople in 678, the Greek Fire is often mentioned but not the ministers  or even leaders that employed it. Tyrion was only one player in this event out of many. The historian would write something like, “The king, Joffrey Baratheon oversaw the battle from his central position on the parapets. He would likely have seen the counter attack led by his grandfather, Tywin Lannister. The ladder secretly marched his army away from the usurper Rob Stark to defend the capital and attack Stannis from behind. The ghost of Stannis’ brother attacked from the west. This was Loras Tyrell, in a new alliance with the Lannister’s forming yet another flank attack in the king’s great victory.”  

As you can tell, there was so much going on in this battle and so many important players, a minor counter attack from an unpopular person wouldn’t be missed. Tyrion’s attack at the Green Wood was more conspicuous. (In the budget challenged first season though, Tyrion gets conked on the head and both he and the viewer completely miss it.) In the books he does a good job of commanding the left flank.  But that battle was only a diversion for Rob Stark to fight at Whispering Woods, where they captured the very important Jaime Lannister. Thus, the history could be, “Lannister forces defeated a diversionary force from Rob Stark, while the latter counter-marched and captured Jaime Lannister.” 

Tyrion kills Tywin Lannister:

Tyrion is blamed for the poisoning of King Joffrey and is sentenced to death. The spymaster frees him and before he goes, he killed his father and eventually makes his way to the Dragon Queen. Given that Tywin was shot while he was in the privy with his pants down, and there was a dead prostitute in his bed (also murdered by Tyrion), this could have been glossed over by historians. (Though not forgotten by the bawdy Game of Thrones version of a theater troupe.) 

Historians had several easy scapegoats in contrast to tawdry family drama.  Sansa Stark was the daughter of the traitor and disappeared on the day that Joffrey was killed. The Sand Snakes killed or disfigured (tv or book respectively) the queen’s daughter and could also be blamed for the Tywin’s death around the same time. Religious fanatics quickly overran the city after Tywin’s death. They installed a reign of terror and they eventually arrested Circe and King Tommen’s wife. With plentiful rumors at their disposal, and a dead body on the privy, historians could say it was various traitors fulfilling the wrath of the gods while leaving out the details or focusing on the post Tywin mistakes and subsequent downfall of the kingdom. 

The Book of Mormon:

This clearly shows the limits of being a historian. Ancient historians often had a lack of primary sources to create their narrative. Thucydides, for example relied on a combination of personal knowledge, and contemporary events to craft his narrative. He plainly said that in his speeches he wrote what he “thought the situation demanded.” They had to sift through mountains of rumors. They often had their own biases. Many religious writers such as Gregory of Tours wrote to show God’s hand impacted history. They could change the narrative slightly to enhance that effect.  

The Book of Mormon itself reveals several of these interesting glosses that could be covering up important people or events like Tyrion was left out of Westeros history books. The war chapters describe “some intrigue, which caused dissensions amongst the [the Nephites], [so the Lamanites] gained some ground over the Nephites. (Alma 53:8).” We don’t know if these were factions of cities rebelling against Nephites and installing Lamanite friendly governors. (Which happened in Zarahemla Alma 61:8) We don’t know if it was a dispute between cities as described in Alma 50. We just don’t know much except it happened. We know how Amalickiah gained the throne through treachery and deceit but not Tubaloth or Lachoneous for that matter.

For example, I find it suspicious we have a long line of no name but generally wicked leaders, many of them kill each other to gain power, and we are even told at one point the Gadianton Robbers have “sole management” of the government (Helaman 6:39), but then here comes Lachoneus and tells them to repent (3 Nephi 3:12).  What was his backstory and how did he keep power when so many other rulers were being assassinated?  Perhaps like Helaman (Helaman 2:6), Lachoneus had servants willing to infiltrate factions and kill potential assassins and enemy’s before they carried out their quest. This would be very inconvenient for a story about God saving the Nephites because they prayed.

This is not some radical retelling of the story but simply a careful reading of the text based on what other documents, and the text itself tells us. For example, Mormon selectively edited his narrative in many places. In the most notable instance he wrote that the Lamanites captured some of the people of Noah (Alma 16:3), but when portraying the event as the wrath of God and desolation of Ammonihah, he left it out (Alma 49:3). Presumably the people of Noah were not wicked and didn’t deserve God’s punishment. So Mormon the historian included those details, but Mormon the prophet, pronouncing God’s judgment, did not. This particular detail was first noted by Grant Hardy in a FARMS volume almost 30 years ago.

The Book of Mormon is an excellent spiritual text that has historical value. Mormon as the historian had the same habits of other historians with limited sources and space to advance his objective for the book. We can see some of those methods but using a fictional example from pop culture. I hope we can dive deeper into some of the little noticed details that hint at much larger events or people.